Warp beam mounting for knitting machines



Feb. 5, 1963 J. D. WENRICH 3,076,616

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WARP BEAM MOUNTING FOR KNITTING MACHINES Filed Jan. 14; 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FlE- Q 1 .1%... 5

I N V EN TOR. Jo/m Q U/enr/c/r A TTORNB United States Patent 3,076,616 WARP BEAM MOUNTING FOR KNITIING MACHINES John D. Wenrich, Fleetwood, Pa., assignor to Textile Machine Works, Wyornissing, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed Jan. 14, 1960, Ser. No. 2,542 2 Claims. (Cl. 242-54) The instant invention relates to warp knitting machines and the like and more particularly to improvements in the yarn supply assemblies therefor.

Warp knitting machines such as tricot machines conventionally include yarn supply assemblies consisting of a plurality of spools usually termed warp beams mounted for rotation upon a shaft termed the warp beam barrel, the latter being rotatably supported from the machine frame and driven to let-off the yarns to be converted into fabric. The barrel is generally made in two sections mounted in axial alignment and connected for joint rotation. The supports for the sections include end frame members and a center frame member, the latter supporting the adjacent ends of both sections, and is of a type to permit removal and replacement of the sections as for example when the yarn supply is to be replenished.

The barrel sections have heretofore been connected or coupled to insure the joint rotation thereof by means including inter-meshing or otherwise interengaging members requiring endwise shifting movement of one or both barrel sections for disengagement or engagement of the members when the barrel sections are to be removed from or to be mounted on the machine. Inasmuch as the sections are relatively heavy, often weighing in excess of a ton when loaded the necessity has created a difficult handling problem. Also actual injury to the machine has resulted from attempts to lever a section endwise into its interengaged position with the other at the same time that it is being lowered into the support for its outer ends.

A principal object of the instant invention is the provision of an improved warp beam assembly eliminating the need for endwise movement of the beam barrel sections during their mounting on or removal from the machine.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a beam barrel assembly of the type referred to comprising connecting and supporting means for the adjacent ends of the beam barrel sections which permits both sections to be lifted from or lowered to mounted position by movement only at right angles to the axis of the machine. In a warp beam assembly according to the instant invention the beam barrel sections are removably supported at their outer ends in a substantially conventional manner, for example in seats having removable caps. However at their inner or adjacent ends special means are provided to connect the sections together and to provide a common support for the sections at this point. This includes a connecting member extending from one of the sections the connecting member carrying a bearing adapted to be mounted in a seat having a removable cap and carried by a supporting frame member. The connecting member also includes an extending end to be secured relatively snugly in an open-sided pocket formed at the end of the other beam barrel section. The extending end and the pocket are of cross-sectional shapes to prevent relative rotation between the barrel sections. Means are provided to releasably secure said extending end within said pocket. Upon removal of the caps of the supporting seats and release of the means securing the extending end of the connecting member in the pocket the beams may be lifted from or remounted on the machine by movements at right 3,076,616 Patented Feb. 5, 1963 ice angles thereto eliminating the problems inherent in the endwise movements required by prior devices.

My invention will be more fully understood and further objects and advantages thereof will become apparent when reference is made to the more detailed description thereof which is to follow and to the accompanying drawings in which FIGURE 1 is an elevational view of a warp beam assembly incorporating the instant invention;

FIG. 2 is a view on an enlarged scale partially in elevation and partially in section taken substantially on the line 22 of FIG. 1 in the direction indicated by the arrows;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view on an enlarged scale taken substantially on the line 3-3 of FIG. 1 in the direction indicated by the arrows;

FIG. 4 is a detail view on an enlarged scale of a portion of the apparatus of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 5-5 of FIG. 4 in the direction indicated by the arrows;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 6-6 of FIG. 4 in the direction indicated by the arrows; and

FIG. 7 is a sectional view on a further enlarged scale with portions being omitted for clearness of illustration taken substantially on the line 7-7 of FIG. 4 in the direction indicated by the arrows.

Referring now to the drawings, and particularly to FIG. 1, there is illustrated a warp beam assembly supported by outer frame members 1 and 2 and an inner or central frame member 3 of a warp knitting machine. The machine may be of any known type, such as that shown, for example, in patent to Held et al. No. 2,910,850, issued November 3, 1959, to which reference may be made for a better understanding of the relationship and operation of the several parts of the machine. As will be noted in the patent two or more of the warp beam assemblies may be used for each machine.

The warp beam assembly includes axially aligned beam barrel sections 4 and 5 the outer or remote ends of which are supported in seats 6 formed in enlarged ends of stub shafts 7, the latter in turn being rotatably mounted in bearings 8 carried by the frame members 1 and 2. The ends of the barrel sections are retained in their respective seats by cap members 11 secured in clamping engagement with the barrel sections by studs 12 to cause rotation thereof with the stub shafts (FIGS. 1 and 3). FIG. 2 illustrates the construction of the stub shaft and mounting means therefor at the left hand side of the machine, i.e. for supporting the outer end of beam barrel section 4 but it will be understood, with the exception noted below, that the construction is the same at the opposite end of the machine for supporting the outer end of beam barrel section 5. The stub shaft 7 at the left end of the machine, as distinguished from the stub shaft at the right end, includes an extension 9 to which is secured a gear 10 adapted to be driven in any suitable manner, as shown for example in Patent No. 2,910,850, to rotate the warp beam assembly for delivery of yarn to the needles of the machine.

Barrel sections 4 and 5 each include a hollow tubular portion forming the barrel section proper. Plugs 15 and 16 are inserted in the tubes at the inner or adjacent ends of the sections and secured to the tube for rotation therewith by any suitable means (not shown). The plugs include end flanges 17 defining stops for the spools or warp beams 18 one or a plurality of which are mounted on each barrel section. At the opposite sides of the warp beams the barrel sections carry collars 19 adapted to be secured in axially adjusted positions on their respective barrel sections by any suitable means such as set screws,

locking pins, or the like (not shown). The collars carry a plurality of studs 26 received in axially extending threaded openings in the collars. The collars are split, as shown particularly in PEG. 1, whereby they may readily be removed and replaced. The one or more warp beams mounted on each of the barrel sections are secured thereon for rotation therewith by being pressed together, if there is more than one, and against the flange 17 by the axially directed thrust of studs 20-.

It will be understood that the above description is directed to generally conventional structure. Referring now particularly to FIGS. 1 and 4 to 7 in accordance with the instant invention the plug for either one of the barrel sections, section 4 in the construction illustrated, is bored to receive an additional plug serving as a connecting member for the barrel sections 4 and 5 and additionally carrying a bearing for cooperation with a bearing seat on the center frame member 3 of the machine for the common support of the adjacent inner ends of the barrel sections as will now be described. Plug 25 includes a shank 26 inserted within the bore of the plug 15 and secured therein as by studs 27. It also includes a collar 28 of enlarged diameter with respect to the shank 26, the outer end of the collar being defined by a flange 29. Projecting from the flanged collar is an extending end portion 30 suitably substantially square in cross section. Flanged collar 28 and extending portion 30 are suitably integrally formed with shank portion 26.

A bearing member 31 suitably a ball bearing having inner and outer races is mounted on flanged collar 28 with the inner race confined between flange 29 and the end of plug 15. The outer race of the bearing member is received in a seat 32 formed in the machine frame member 3. As will be noted the bearing member 31 is substantially narrower than the frame member at the point Where the bearing member is supported thereon and is located adjacent barrel member 4 and at one side of the supporting frame member. The bearing member is held in its mounted position in the seat 32 by a cap member 33 of approximately the same width as the bearing member, the cap being removably secured as by studs 34.

Plug 16 carried by barrel member 5 is provided with axially projecting lugs 35, 36 and 37 defining an opensided pocket so positioned and dimensioned as to snugly receive extending end 30 of plug 25. It is to be noted that while the extending end 30 and the pocket have been shown as rectangular in cross section this shape while preferred is not essential and other non-circular shapes, such for example as trapezoidal, may be used which permit the insertion of the extending end laterally into the pocket through the open side thereof and serve to locate the extending end in a fixed position therein. In the construction shown lug 35 is formed integrally With plug 16 and lugs 36 and 37 are secured to the end of the plug member by studs 38. However, this particular construction is for ease of manufacture only and it will be understood that all of the lugs may be integral parts of the plug 16 or may be separately formed and secured to the plug as desired. Means are provided to removably secure extending end 30 within the pocket defined by the lugs 35, 36 and 37, this means preferably constituting studs 39 extending through lug 35 and threaded into tapped holes in the extending end 30.

With the construction described above the beam barrel sections may be readily removed from and replaced on the machine without the necessity of axial movements of the sections. For example when such action is to be taken, such as when the yarn supply requires replenishing, cap members 11 and 33 are removed, the beam is turned until studs 39 are exposed and these studs then removed. Thereafter the beam barrel sections may be removed from their positions by a hoist or the like with movement only at right angles to the axis of the warp beam assembly and of the machine. After removal of the barrel sections the split collars 19 are disassembled from the barrel section, the empty spools or beams slipped endways off of the sections and replaced by full beams in the conventional manner. The loaded barrel sections may then be hoisted into their mountings on the machine the final positioning of the barrel sections requiring only movements at right angles to the machine. Studs 39 and cap members 11 and 33 are then replaced.

It will be also noted that if desired one barrel section, namely the section carrying the lugs 35, 36 and 37, may be removed and replaced as desired without disturbing the other barrel section. All that is required for this operation is the removal of the cap member 11 at the outer end of the barrel section 5 and the removal of studs 39.

Having described my invention in rather full detail it will be understood that these details need not be strictly adhered to and that various changes and modifications may be made all falling within the scope of the invention as defined by the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a warp knitting machine or the like, a beam barrel assembly comprising axially aligned beam barrel sections having remote outer and adjacent inner ends, means removably supporting said outer ends, a connecting member carried at the inner end of one of said sections, means for removably supporting said connecting member, and means for releasably supporting the inner end of the other of said sections on said connecting member, said last mentioned means comprising an extending end of non-circular cross section on said connecting member, an opensided pocket at the inner end of said other section and adapted to receive said extending end, and means for releasably securing said extending end in said pocket.

2. In a Warp knitting machine or the like, a beam barrel assembly comprising axially aligned beam barrel sections having remote outer and adjacent inner ends, means removably supporting said outer ends, a connecting member carried at the inner end of one of said sections, a bearing member carried by said connecting member, means for releasably supporting said bearing member, and means for releasably supporting the inner end of the other of said sections on said connecting member, said last mentioned means comprising an extending end on said connecting member, a lug carried at the inner end of said other section, an open-ended pocket in said lug for receiving said extending end, and means for releasably securing said extending end to said lug to maintain said end in said pocket.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,532,600 Mossberg Apr. 7, 1925 1,801,503 Hathaway et al Apr. 21, 1931 2,269,867 Sirmay Jan. 13, 1942 2,376,364 Lambach May 22, 1945 2,431,130 Luchansky Nov. 18, 1947 2,623,709 Sorton Dec. 30, 1952 2,625,022 Adam Jan. 13, 1953 2,823,530 Rikard Feb. 18, 1958 

1. IN A WARP KNITTING MACHINE OR THE LIKE, A BEAM BARREL ASSEMBLY COMPRISING AXIALLY ALIGNED BEAM BARREL SECTIONS HAVING REMOTE OUTER AND ADJACENT INNER ENDS, MEANS REMOVABLY SUPPORTING SAID OUTER ENDS, A CONNECTING MEMBER CARRIED AT THE INNER END OF ONE OF SAID SECTIONS, MEANS FOR REMOVABLY SUPPORTING SAID CONNECTING MEMBER, AND MEANS FOR RELEASABLY SUPPORTING THE INNER END OF THE OTHER OF SAID SECTIONS ON SAID CONNECTING MEMBER, SAID LAST MENTIONED MEANS COMPRISING AN EXTENDING END OF NON-CIRCULAR CROSS SECTION ON SAID CONNECTING MEMBER, AN OPENSIDED POCKET AT THE INNER END OF SAID OTHER SECTION AND ADAPTED TO RECEIVE SAID EXTENDING END, AND MEANS FOR RELEASABLY SECURING SAID EXTENDING END IN SAID POCKET. 